A Chance Return
by Peacharoo
Summary: Shiro Kudo is a Great Detective, just like her father. But just what does she do when following in his footsteps gets her in over her head? One - this is a New Generation ff. Two - The main characters in this are the opposite of their DetCo counterparts
1. Prologue

A Chance Return

Prologue

**Disclaimer!! **I do not nor will I ever own Detective Conan or Magi Kaitou, much to my discontent. I do, however, own just about every original character in here. The ones I do not own belong to my very best of friends. And what are you talking about!? Charries in my closet? Bah, you must be hallucinating.

_At one point in time, the front pages of newspapers praised the 'Saviour of the Police' and the 'Holmes of the Heisei Era'. One Individual. . .one Highschooler. Shin'ichi Kudo. Then one day, he pulled a stunt that baffled everyone. He vanished. No one had seen the Lad for some time. Not his friends, or his parents, or even his neighbor. They only saw a small child, bearing a striking resemblance to said Shin'ichi. The young boy, a first grader, had a mind as quick as a whip and as sharp as a blade. Conan Edogawa. Of course, no one would expect the mysterious child to hold such intriguing secrets. And no one expected his name to be a simple alias. Young Conan was, in reality, a Highschooler. And not just any highschooler. Conan Edogawa, the innocent and sweet child, was Shin'ichi Kudo. It's not like Shin'ichi **wanted** to be Conan. 'Conan' was the result of an awry drug, designed to kill its victim without leaving any trace of its presence. Now, Shin'ichi didn't want the drug, either. While visiting a popular Amusement park with his childhood friend, Ran Mouri, he had seen one very suspicious man. Having the Detective instincts he does, he followed said man without a second thought, only to witness a very interesting -and very illegal- transaction. Shin'ichi ended up being caught from behind by the culprit's partner, where he was fed the drug. Which leads up to the 'birth' of Conan. The actual name choosen as his alias was completely random, parts of names from actual authors._

_Only a few chosen people actually know Shin'ichi's secret. Some of them weren't even supposed to know at all. The first person happened to be his one and only neighbor, Professor Agasa Hiroshi. Happy to help, Professor Agasa has made many inventions to aid the shrunken Shin'ichi. The boy's parents also knew his little secret. They had even offered him an antidote, but he refused it. It's not that he didn't want his body back, he just wanted to have the pleasure of destroying the Black Organization, the ones who did this to him, in the process. The kansai-ben speaking Detective from Osaka also knew. Heiji Hattori was much like Shin'ichi, only not shrunken. People always use to compare the two, saying 'Kudo of the East and Hattori of the West.' Now, Hattori wasn't told up front, rather he figured it out for himself. Another Highschooler who knew Conan's secret identity was the illustrious and intelligent thief, Kaito KID, though KID's identity wasn't known. He was uncatchable, even with the minds of Shin'ichi and Hattori combined. They did stop him every now and then, though. Lastly, their was the elementary student Ai Haibara. But as Conan proved, appearances can be devieving. Haibara was also not who she appeared to be. The girl was an eighteen year old scientist, who had once worked for the Black Organization. She was the creator of the drug that had shrunk them, APTX 4869. When she took the drug, it was not forced upon her. It was her own attempt at suicide. There had been others as well, but their roles weren't as crucial._

_Conan and Ai remained more than aliases for a long time. Until acase that went deeper than most surfaced. The CIA Agent Hidemi Hondou, who was undercover in the Black Organization as Rina Mizunashi, found the key to it destruction. Of course, this information was related back to theCIA. They in turn related it back to the FBI. That was how it all went back to Conan, who was lucky enough to have connections with them. The situation was quickly assesed by the Americans, and the Organization crumbled. The resluting actions led to a happy ending, the two destressed teens regaining their original bodies and lead regular lives from then on. Of course, Conan and Ai simply disappeared, though everyone who knew them were told that they simply went back to America, back to their families. Shin'ichi eventually ended up telling Ran the truth behind his absence, certain it was safe._

_What they didn't know was that the Black Organization was like a pheonix. From the ashes of the previous organization rose an even **bigger**, **stronger** one. Much like its predecessor, this organization was nothing but a symbol of evil. They were stronger than before, more determined than before. Mysterious and secretive, they left nothing at their crime scenes that could be traced back to them. No one knew they existed. And they would leave no witnesses.  
The Events of the Past loomed over the happy people for quite some time. Eventually, they began to repeat. No one had really expected this at all. But then again, no one ever does. This was never the path anyone would choose, or dare to tread. But it happened. But like many cases, this was no 'accident'._


	2. In Your Footsteps

A Mishappened Return

A Chance Return

In Your Footsteps

**Disclaimer!! **I do not nor will I ever own Detective Conan or Magi Kaitou, much to my discontent. I do, however, own just about every original character in here. The ones I do not own belong to my very best of friends. And once again, I do NOT have any charries tied up in my closet!! -shifty eyes-

It was a Sunday, which meant no school. The sky was clear and blue, the temperature warm. And what better way to spend it than going to an amusement park? Well, in the opinion of a certain brunette who was currently brooding, reading was more fun. But no, her best friend in the entire world just _had_ to go do something meaningful and expect a reward. And as a spur of a moment thing, Shiro had decided going to an amusement park. Ah, how she hated them so. Many a terrible experiences she had there, all leading up to her utter loathing of the place. Tropical Land, the place of many horrors and overpriced things you could find cheaper at the store. Shiro's eyes clouded over, her mind filled with thoughts, as she sat on the rail with her legs dangling like a child who was too small for her chair. _Oh God, how I hate that place._ That was the exact thought going through the teen's head as she was suddenly tapped on the forehead. And what else would happen other than Shiro losing her balance and falling backwards onto the grass with a light thud.

"Jeez Shiro, could you have any more of a balance dilemma?" An obviously masculine piped up, offering a hand. The female brushed the brown locks form her eyes before looking up at the culprit. "Well, it was your fault entirely . . . you idiot." She huffed, ignoring the young man's hand and jumping to her feet. "You didn't see, did you Kuro?" As Shiro held her pale hands against her skirt, her blue eyes narrowed with annoyance. "No, not at all. Though I don't mind that they're light blue." The grin that tugged at the corners of Kuro's lips was one of those annoying ones. You know, the one that someone gives you when they know they did something wrong, but they'll get away with it. "Damn it Kuro, I hate you!!" His friend squealed, her knee going hit him where the sun don't shine. Kuro, however, was too fast for his female friend and quickly put his hand beneath it, scooping Shiro up bridal style. Her face went friend as he stood there, lecturing her on not having fast enough reflexes. The teen's ears only heard two things though: the pounding of her heart and the giggles and comments of passerby.

"I'm not some kid!! Put me down!!" As her friend set her down with a grin, Shiro simply huffed and turned her back to Kuro, stalking away silently. "Aw, hey! Come on Shiro, you know I'm just an idiot. I have the," Kuro paused, searching for the words. "Impulses of a healthy, pig-headed guy!" He called as he jogged to catch up. The male was caught off guard as Shiro spun around to face him, a mischievous glint in her blue eyes. "What, I'm only going Tropical Land as promised. But thanks for admitting that." With a heartbreaker smile, Shiro turned around and began to walk again, her brown braid moving with every step she took. "Man, I can't ever let my guard down with you Shiro." "Yeah, so don't forget it karate boy." Kuro grinned again as he replied with, "You got it Mystery Freak."

It wasn't like Shiro could object. She was obsessed and she knew it. And she blamed it all on her father. Okay, so she was _willing_ to have it pushed upon her, but that didn't matter. Knowing him, he probably wouldn't care either way. Being the great detective he was, Kudo Shinichi would have a detective for a child and that was that. It didn't matter if that kid was a boy or a girl, but they would be a detective. For as long as she could remember, Shiro had always been fascinated by her father and his work. As he had Holmes as his model, _he_ was hers. "Tou-san this" and "Tou-san that" were frequent words by the child Shiro as she talked with her friends. Before going to bed, she was always listening to a new case Shinichi had solved as her mother stood in the doorway. With a sigh and a smile, she would say, "Shinichi, you're making my daughter into a mini-you." "Well, we don't need a mini-you Ran. One short-tempered woman who knows karate is enough in this household, thank you." He would retort, making a funny face that would send Shiro into hysterics. When she got old enough, which was six according to her father, Shiro began to go with him on cases and he would teach her the basic tools of the trade. This of course, only fueled her growing curiosity in mysteries.

Because she was often wrapped up with her mysteries, it made it hard for her to make friends with other children her age. One exception was Kuro, but he had been around for as long as she could remember. Kyogoku Kuro was the child of one of her mother's close friends. It only seemed fitting that the mothers forced the two upon each other seeming as how they were the same age. So more often than not, they played while their mothers sat chatting, Shinichi on a case and Kuro's father off in some karate tournament. The two became close to each other quickly, and had been the best of friends since. It wasn't often that the two were seen without each other. Because they were so close, however, this only lead to teasing once they got to high school. Because in the mind of Kaoru, one of Kuro's idiot friends, the two had graduated from close friends to husband and wife somewhere between the lower secondary school and the upper secondary school, and he stuck with it. And his insistence eventually wore off on the other students. But it was when they were in their last year secondary schooling that Shiro actually fell in love with him.

But, that's not the point, not yet at least. And so, our happy, not-actually-a-couple couple merrily made their way to Tropical Land unaware of the terrible sense of foreboding in their guts.

--

"E-Eh!? T-That one?" Shiro choked out, pointing at the coaster that loomed over her and her friend. "Yup, that one. We're riding it . . . in the very front." Kuro grinned mischievously down at his female friend as she gulped, her confidence wavering noticeably. Shiro was sure he was getting payback for the dirty trick she pulled earlier. "Fine, I'll ride it." Oh god how that thing crept her out, a small shiver running down her spine. "You'll be fine Shiro. I promise not to let anything happen to you." Kuro's grin had gone from sinister to sincere in five seconds flat. A new record for him. "Ha, like this Great Detective needs you to protect her." She scoffed, a pompous air rolling off of her in waves. "Yeah, right. Just don't get too full of it, okay? If your ego got any bigger, it'd pop Shiro." Kuro laughed, patting her on the back as they moved forward in the line. "Karate boy." "Mystery freak." The friends were grinning at each other now, starting to laugh, as the continued moving forward in the line.

"It's pretty short, isn't it?" Kuro piped up suddenly. "O-Oh, you really think so?" Shiro started, standing on her tiptoes to try and see above the heads before them. Curse her genes!! She was too short (at least she felt she was) to do anything. "Relax, you're almost to the front Shorty." A man spoke up from behind the pair, a warm smile on his face as Shiro wheeled around to face him, her ego bruised. "Excuse me, but I would like to point out that I am not short!!" She huffed as she stared up at the man, her blue eyes glazed over with frustration. "Alright, alright." He chuckled, his hands up in the 'I'm totally innocent' position. How many times had she seen _that_ one? "Yeah, well . . ." She searched her mind for something, anything, to spit back at him. But no, this would be the _one_ thing her expanse knowledge was no use for. "Pheir, are you teasing girls again?" A voice spoke up from behind the black-headed boy. As a girl with curly red hair poked her head up from behind him, a pair of thin-rimmed glasses sliding off of her nose, she pouted. The both seemed to attend the university, though the red-head, a foreigner from the looks of it, seemed to be about fifteen. "Oh, here's my Shorty now!!" Pheir grinned, snaking an arm around the red-head's waist. "I'm not your Shorty, I'm Kazeko." She huffed. Ah, so the girl was a halfie. "Look, I'm sorry Pheir is bothering you, I'll make sure to keep him in line." Kazeko smiled sweetly, which contradicted her actions of smacking Pheir in the back of his head with her pale palm.

"Ah, I see Emiro-kun is at it again, flirting with high school girls." A tall brunette behind them spoke up, grinning like mad. "Yeah, I guess my age finally caught up with me." Kazeko laughed, clapping her hands onto her face. As Kuro and Shiro turned around to face forward gain, they couldn't help but stifle a laugh. How odd were these people behind them!! At least they seemed to be good friends. Before long, they were all seated in the cars, Kuro keeping his word and sticking them in the front. Nervous as hell, but determined not to let it show, Shiro struck up a conversation. "Ah, did you know that Tou-san just got a big case in America? He left last night." Kuro rolled his eyes, but didn't object. Once Shiro got started, nothing really stopped her. "It's great that he got a case overseas, isn't it? That means his reputation is becoming well-known even outside of Japan!!" The girl began to laugh, soothing her nervousness with giggles and talk of her father. "Hey Pheir, wanna piece of gum?" Kazeko's voice piped up from a few seats behind Kuro and Shiro.

She was mid-sentence, going on about some past case her dad had, when the train was suddenly launched. That sentence soon turned into a startled scream. For a majority of the ride, Shiro had her eyes clamped shut in fear. Amazing how such a hardened detective could be so scared of a roller coaster. And then, it was over before she knew it. As the teen breathed a sigh a relief, a shriek tore out form behind them. "Hey, hey Pheir!! Are you okay!?" His female companions were squealing, shaking his shoulders as best as they could with the restraints. Workers rushed over to the man as the restraints were released. Someone call a freakin' ambulance!! The cops, too." Shiro demanded, as one of the workers looked over at her. "We only need the cops. The guy's dead." The young man stood there, holding the man by the shoulders still. "Well let him go!! We need to leave him as he is, no more disturbances." She spat, as she grew irritated. How could anyone be so . . . so idiotic!? It was common knowledge to leave dead bodies the way they were until the police arrived.

She had seen things like this too many times before for it to affect her now. Slowly, she pulled a set of gloves out of the back pocket on her skirt and pulled them on before she began to investigate the body. "What happened to leaving the body as it was?" One of Pheir's companions asked, her brown eyes large and scared. "I'm a detective, it's fine." Shiro returned as she continued to search him. "You . . . y-you're a detective? You're only a high school student!!" Kazeko blurted, her black eyes welling with tears. "Yeah, now be quiet for a few minutes." The red-head hushed it as Shiro kneeled next to the body. _Something . . .something_, She though t to herself, calm and collected. Finally, she found what she was looking for – a small wound on his neck.

With a satisfied smile, Shiro rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet before rising and moving back to her position beside Kuro. "You figured this out _already!?"_ He whispered as she nodded, a smug look on her face as she scanned the suspects. It was so obvious!! Well, to her at least. But she had searched the body. Suddenly, a female officer burst onto the scene, a man following closely behind her. "Has anyone touched the body since you called?" She demanded her voice sharp and filled with authority. "Only the kid over there," the worker from earlier stated, nodding his head in Shiro's general direction. "My, if it isn't Shiro-chan, standing over there!" The officer's face brightened as she made her way over to the girl. "Satou-keiji, long time no see." The brunette chirped, smiling as the other officer came up behind her. "If Shiro-chan is here, that means the case is pretty much already solved, right Miwako-chan?" "Takagi-kun, I've told that you call me Satou-san on the job." She replied as she took his words into consideration. After staring blankly at Shiro for a minute, Satou's eyes narrowed slightly. "You do have it figured out, don't you." She sighed and stood straight again. "Very well, let's hear your deductin." Although she sounded exasperated, Satou's face was bright, her lips pulled into a smile.

"Very well then," Shiro announced with a grin. "Our victim was poisoned." The brunette beside Kazeko narrowed her brown eyes. "That's all you have to say about Emiro-kun?" She whined, crossing her arms. "You didn't let me finish." Shiro glowered at the brunette before continuing. "Kazeko-san, before the ride started, you gave Emiro-san a piece of gum, right?" Kazeko's facial expression faltered, showing a flicker of some other emotion. "Y-Yeah, I did. But Nakarazawa-san took it from him before he got to chew it." Shiro's grin remained smug. "Aho, is that so? I see." She murmured as she made her way over to the corpse. "And then you gave him another piece, right?" The red-head shifted. "Y-Yeah, I did." The Nakarazawa chic spat out, "You honestly don't thnk that Nigarami-san is the culprit, do you!?" The officers looked at the teen. "Shiro-chan, are you saying that she put poison in the gum?" Takagi spoke up, looking quizzically at the teenager. "No, I never said the gum killed him. I was just bringing it up." Her blue eyes turned themselves upon Nakarazawa-san. "Nor did I ever say that Nigarami-san killed Emiro-san. Keep in mind, Nakarazawa-san, that there are three other suspects." She flashed her heartbreaker smile before continuing. "First of all, there is you, who sat in front of the victim, and then those two people in black, who sat behind the victim."

"You don't really think we did anything, do you brat?" The taller one of the black-clad companions spoke, her icy gray eyes narrowing as they fixated themselves on Shiro. The teen flinched and motioned to Kazeko. "Nigarami-san, where are you glasses? I do recall you wearing some before you got on." "Yeah, she was wearing some . . ." Kuro spoke up as he stood stiffly with his hands in his pockets. "Brat, why aren't you two suspects?" The shorter one pitched in. "Obviously because Kuro and I are too far up to reach the victim without alerting anyone." She shrugged as she awaited Kazeko's answer. "Nakarazawa-san said she'd hold onto them. But they broke when the restraints came down. They were pretty thin." Nakarazawa nodded and pulled the broken frame out of her coat pocket. "See? Right here." "And there you have it keiji-san. The murder weapon." Satou narrowed her eyes at Shiro again. "But didn't you say he was poisoned?" "Yup. Look at the side of his neck. There is a small wound. If one dipped the end of that set of glasses in the poison, then pricked his neck, they would get the poison into his system." Nakarazawa spoke again. "But if I'm in front of him, how do I prick the side of his neck?" "Simple. The seats are close together, which makes it a bit simpler, especially for a person who's tall, such as you." "How did I get poison on the glasses if they just broke," the brunette exclaimed, growing nervous. Shiro's grin grew smug again.

Those aren't Nigarami-san's glasses, just an identical pair you already broke. Her glasses didn't break, she just needed the excuse. Her glasses are still on your person, unbroken." Shiro cleared her throat as her eyes narrowed. "Now, do you want to confess? Or would you like on of us to search you?" It was with those words Nakarazawa broke. "I-I" She sputtered as she began to sob into her hands. "I-I did it for Nigarami-san!!" She wailed, which earned a startled gasp from the halfie. "I . . . me . . .Nakarazawa-san, why?" Kazeko choked out, her hands clasped tightly against her chest. "Emiro-kun he . . . Emiro-kun wasn't serious. He wasn't treating you right." She replied, Takagi placed the cuffs around her hands. "He was going to hurt you." Kazeko fell silent, her eyes never leaving the ground. "N-Nakarazawa-san . . . no, Emi-chan, I'm sorry to have worried you to this point." Her dark eyes locked with Emi's brown ones. "But I can take care of myself, no matter how weak I look." The brunette flinched, but smiled anyway. "That's nice to know. But you never know when you need protection, Kazeko-chan." She mumbled, her eyes slowly sliding to Shiro, who was standing silently beside Kuro. "Right then," Satou started. "Everyone is free to go."

--

"Shiro, you were kinda neat back there." Kuro mumbled as the two walked towards the entrance. Because of the case, the sky had darkened considerably and they were making their way home before their mothers threw a fit. "Only kinda? And here I was hoping to get some sort of praise." The girl sighed, her voice full of mock disappointment. "So sorry," Kuro replied, rolling his blue eyes as the two continued to walk. It was eerie, how empty the park seemed. Shiro opened her mouth to say something, when she saw somebody run out of the corner of her eye. Someone running would have been fine. But someone who was running into a dark alley at night? In an amusement park that's about to close? That was suspicious. "I'll catch up to you in a few minutes, okay Kuro?" She exclaimed as she began to run after the figure. "Shiro wait!!" The brunette turned to face the boy, slightly impatient as she jogged in place. "What Kuro?" The female asked, her blue eyes narrowed again. "We need to get home before the park closes. There isn't time for you to go chasing after another case! You know you can think about things that don't have to do with cases." He frowned, his eyes narrowing as well.

"No, I _can't _think about things that aren't cases Kuro. It's not who I am, it's not in my blood." She retorted with a scowl, her feet ceasing their movements. "Who you _are_ is a teenage girl who can't do anything to protect yourself!" Kuro spat back, as he reached for her arm. "Come on Shiro, were going home." "I'm not some little kid Kuro!! I can take care of myself!" Shiro shouted as she pulled away from him and darted a few feet away, glancing back at him to hear what he was going to say. "Fine, leave. The next time I'll see you, you'll most likely be dead. Because you're some silly detective who doesn't know when to pull her nose out of the affairs of adults. These cases are going to be the death of you Shiro. And even then you wouldn't have learned your lesson." Kuro's voice was dripping with venom as he glared at his friend. This was the first argument they had gotten in . . . in forever. Shiro smiled about, her entire body easing slightly. "Yeah, Kuro . . . they probably will." And with that, the teenage detective was gone. But right then they didn't know she wouldn't be back. Of course her father was proud of Shiro. All those times when Ran had called her a mini-Shinichi when she was younger rang true now. Shiro was following in her fathers footsteps. But this detective was following in more footsteps than she even knew her father had.

**/AN/**

I felt this was a good place to end the chapter. That and it's five in the morning. Sorry if it sucks, which it probably does. Feel free to tell me that in a review, and I won't be offended. I already know that it probably sucks. If you honest to God, truly do not like it, feel free to say that, too. If I get a lot of reviews like that, then I'll just go ahead and stop writing this. But, if you want to offer constructive criticism, that'd be great, too. A lot of thanks to Kiyuuki-sama for the good review! And here I thought nobody would bother to read this.


	3. Highschool Detective to Gradeschool Brat

A Mishappened Return

A Chance Return

From High School Detective to Grade School Brat

Chapter Two

**Disclaimer!! **I do not nor will I ever own Detective Conan or Magi Kaitou, much to my discontent. I do, however, own just about every original character in here. The ones I do not own belong to my very best of friends. I'm telling the truth now. No charries in my closet. They escaped this morning.

The teen stepped quietly, making her way towards the turn in the alley. When she peeked around, her blue eyes found themselves looking at the two black-clad characters from earlier speaking in hushed voices. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she eased her way forward, trying to hear what they were saying. "Kurakuro should be the only one left in his office now. Should we get to him now?" The shorter one questioned, her back to Shiro. "No, first we need to get rid of the spy." The tall one growled, her icy eyes staring directly at Shiro –or they would have been if Shiro hadn't ducked away as soon as the woman began to raise her head.

"But, I thought Kurakuro _was _the spy!" The other one protested. "I mean the one behind the wall." The other one corrected, making her way towards the corner. 'Shit,' was exactly what flashed through the girl's mind as she began to run back down the alley. As her clogs (not exactly the best shoes to run in) pounded against the hard ground, Shiro's heart drummed loudly in her chest. "Almost there," she mumbled under her breath as she continued to run. Shiro came to another corner in the alley. Right beyond this was freedom, right? Wrong. Caught up with running, Shiro failed to note her surroundings and stumbled as the grass gave way to rocky pavement, just before the turn. "Got you now girly." One of the women sneered, pressing metal against her dark hair. "Absinthe, wait." The other voice snarled. Her presence was so frightening, so chilling. Shiro froze, unable to find the courage to turn and face them.

"What is it?" Absinthe growled back, easing up the slightest bit. "Perry hasn't worked on this for nothing." Shiro could fell the intense glare, and she could hear the smile in the sinister voice. "Are you saying we use it?" "That's exactly what I'm saying." Oh gods, things weren't looking up for Shiro at all. Maybe if she had just listened to Kuro. Maybe if she had just decided to go home. Maybe if she wasn't-"Good news, Tantei Brat. You're gonna be our guinea pig." A voice sneered as the gun was removed from her head. The metal was then replaced by a hand, twisting in her hair and pulling her head upwards. "You sure this is going to work?" Absinthe muttered from behind. She got a dirty lok from her comrade, who was now in front of Shiro.

"Say 'ah', kid." The woman before her forced Shiro's mouth open and poured some liquid in it. It was clear and looked like water, but the taste was horrible. It was like rotten eggs and spoiled milk mixed together. As it began to slid down her throat, Shiro noticed how slimy the substance was. And then, the hand was out of her hair and her face hit the ground with a crack. "Absinthe, we're going to take care of the other spy."

A warm and sticky liquid begand to run down Shiro's face as she watched the black-clad figures leave. And she continued to lay there, the world spinning, her body aching and burning with an intense pain. And then, she slowly began to lose consciousness, her eyelids sliding shut slowly. And Shiro found herself thinking yet again, as the scenery slowly gave was to the darkness, was that Kuro was right. Cases were going to be the death of her.

--

A bright light. A small, centered circle of bright, dizzying light. Gods, what the heck was going on? Who was shining this light in Shiro's eyes . . . and why? "A voice finally entered her ears. "Hey, hey are you okay? Jou-chan, are you alright?" Jou-chan? This guy didn't sound any older than her!! With a small moan, Shiro's blue eyes flickered open, only to find the worker from earlier staring intently into her face, two security officers beside her. "I think those women from earlier attacked her. I saw them run out of the alley so I came to check it out. Then I saw her and called you guys." The guy announced, looking over at the cops beside him. "I bet you she saw something she shouldn't have." As the two officers watched the speaker, Shiro slowly rose to her feet, placing a hand to her forehead, only to pull it away in pain. She must have cut herself on something when she hit the ground. As the man continued to speak, the detective broke into a run.

"Hey, somebody catch her!!" They shouted behind her as she continued to run towards the front gate. Was it just her or did it seem like her clothes were much loser? To focused on running, Shiro reached down and held onto her skirt, her shoes falling off as she continued to run. That seemed to be the only thing she was doing for hours, run. Even as she began to grow tired and breathless, she continued to run with few breaks until it hurt too much to move. "Damn it, I've run further than this before." She muttered to herself, bracing herself against the wall. As she eyed her surroundings, she quickly realized where she was – about one and a half blocks from her house. "Jou-chan, are you alright?" A feminine voice behind her spoke up. Shiro _knew _this voice. She spun around to face the voice, one hand still holding the skirt up. "Ah!!" She cried, pointing at the brunette before her. "Wah," was what she choked out as she saw her hand. It was . . . so _small!!_

"J-Jou-chan," the woman stammered, slightly startled by the child's actions. "K-Kaa-san!!" The little girl cried, which caused Ran to gasp and laugh lightly, her voice obviously nervous. "Why don't you come with me and then we'll find your kaa-san, ok?" Ran smiled as she took the child's hand and dragged her back to the house. "Jou-chan, why don't you change into these? They're my daughter's from when she was your age, but they should fit." She offered the clothes as the child before her glared, her blue eyes narrowed. "Where's your kaa-san? Do you know where you live?" The girl laughed dryly as her eyes remained narrowed.

"My kaa-san is right there and I live here." Shiro explained as she held her old clothes to her chest. Ran offered a smile as she said, "You couldn't possibly be Shiro. Shiro is a teenager, and you're just a small child." "Just listen to me, okay!!" Her small hands were curled into fists at her sides, the clothes on the floor before as she remained in her oversized shirt. "Kuro and I were leaving after I solved this case. And then, I saw this person run into an alley and I chased them, but they saw me and then they forced me to drink this stuff." Shiro let out a sigh before looking up at her mother. "Right then, let me try and call your tou-sa-""Don't," Shiro squealed as she started waving her small hands frantically. "Then he'll come home and tease me!!" Her mother offered a small smile, the phone in her hands. "I'm positive that he'll understand. Now go get changed."

--

Shiro yawned and rubbed her eyes, rays of light filtering through the window and onto her face. Damn little kid metabolism. She had fallen asleep after she had gotten changed, listening to her mother speak to her father in a hushed voice. "Ah, Shiro-chan," Her mother started, entering the room after peeking behind the door frame for a brief minute. "I spoke with your father," She started as Shiro let out an inwardly groan. "And he said that it would raise suspicions if our child was gone and we suddenly gained a new one." "You could say I'm on a case!!" Shiro's voice rose as she sat up straight. She didn't like where this was headed. "But that would still raise some suspicions. So, I talked to Sonoko-chan and-"Shiro huffed and crossed her arms. "I. am not. Staying. There," she spat through gritted teeth, her blue eyes narrowed again. "Well, what ideas do you have Shiro?" Shiro froze – she hadn't gotten that far. "What about Miyano-san across the street? I could stay with her!!"

"Shiho-chan is too busy for you," Ran replied as she leaned against the door frame. "But if I go live with Sonoko-neechan, how am I supposed to solve cases?" Shiro retorted as Ran smiled again. "I think it'd be best if you _didn't_ solve cases. If you're supposed to be dead, than they'll catch onto you if you start solving cases," Ran paused. "Like that." Shiro huffed, her arms crossed against her chest again. "But solving cases is what I do – it's who I am." "Not anymore kiddo. Besides, who's gonna take you seriously in that body?"

Shiro lowered her head in defeat. "Fine, but what are we gonna tell them?" "Well, I told Sonoko-chan the truth. Don't give me that look; she won't say anything to anyone." Ran replied as Shiro shot her a dirty look. "But I also told her to tell Makoto-san and Kuro-kun that you saw something that you shouldn't have. Because of that, your mother, who is a close friend of Sonoko, asked her to keep you so that the people who are after you didn't find you." Shiro moaned, outwardly this time as she looked at her mother with pleading eyes. "And when people ask who you are, she'll say that you're her niece, who is staying with them for a while." Ran nodded to herself, obviously proud of her story.

"Fine then, but when Dad comes back, he's taking me with him on his cases." Shiro stated matter-o-factly as she hopped off of her seat. "When am I leaving?" "Right now. Sonoko said she already has a room ready, so I went shopping and packed you clothes." Shiro raised an eyebrow curiously, her head cocked to the side so that her bangs fell over the band-aid on her forehead. "Was she expecting something like this to happen?" "Of course not. She just really wants a daughter. But instead, she got two boys." "Fine then, just don't cry, okay?" Shiro smiled sheepishly, although that's exactly what she expected. It was with those words that Ran pulled a reluctant Shiro out of the house and threw her into the car. So much for teary good-byes.

**/AN/**

**For Those Who Don't Know –**

**Tantei means Detective.**

**Jou-chan means little girl.**

**When Shiro went 'Ah," she wasn't screaming. It was more like a cry of recognition.**

**Kaa-san means mother.**

**Neechan means Older/Big sister. Sonoko has Shiro call her that so she doesn't feel old. Sorry, just seemed like something Sonoko would do.**

**I felt this was a good place to end the chapter, sorry that it is really short!!. I know it's kind of like Shin'ichi staying with Ran when this happened to him, but cut me some slack. Even though her parents still live in Japn, Shiro can't stay with them. I mean, wouldn't it be really weird if someone's kid went missing, and just as that happened they got another kis who looked like a mini-replica of the older one? Besides, I think that Ran would want Shiro with someone she trusts and who she can visit, because it just seems like she would do that kind of thing because of her personality. So if you find that part annoying, I'm sorry. Thanks to Kiyuuki-sama for the reviews, and DfK as well!! Also, which name sounds better for our black-clad woman without the name? At first I thought it should be Sloe Gin, but then I thought otherwise. So right now, it's either Rakia or Sloe Gin. And yes Perry is a type of alcohol.**


	4. Aki

A Chance Return

Aki

Chapter Three

**Disclaimer!! **I do not nor will I ever own Detective Conan or Magi Kaitou, much to my discontent. I do, however, own just about every original character in here. The ones I do not own belong to my very best of friends. Nor did I ever create the nursery rhyme 'Jack and Jill'. The charries who escaped Monday morning decided to be mean. They stole all of my pencils. XP

"What are we gonna call you Shiro?" Ran asked, looking at her daughter through the rearview mirror. With a shrug, she replied, "Dunno. Whatever you want, I guess." Ran smiled before looking at the road again. Of course Sonoko didn't live _that_ far away. It was just less suspicious to see someone driving a car with a little kid, rather than dragging a little kid down the street with a suitcase in hand. "Then we'll call you Aki." Shiro looked up. "That's your favorite season, right?

"Yeah, it is. Thanks kaa-san." Shiro –no _Aki_ replied with a smile. "That's what I'm here for, right?" Her mother replied as the car slowed to a stop. "Ran-chan, Ran-chan," a voice shouted as a feminine figure burst from the house the mother-daughter pair had stopped at. "Ah, Sonoko-chan," her mother had replied as she stepped out of the car and embraced her friend. After a few minutes, Sonoko put a hand above her eyes, as if she was searching for someone. As if that was her cue, Shiro took in a deep breath and stepped out of the car. "Oh my, Shiro-chan!!" Sonoko squealed as she admired from a distance. "Or, I should be saying . . . saying . . . Ran, what _am_ I supposed to call her?" "Aki," Shiro piped up, her blue eyes showing her discontent with the situation.

"Shi-"Sonoko started before correcting herself. "Aki-chan, you know where the spare room is, right? Why don't you go ahead and get settled in." The woman offered a smile as the child pulled her suitcase from the back seat. "Ah, Ran-chan!! That's all you gave her?" Sonoko seemed thoroughly shocked as she eyed the singe case, Ran growing embarrassed beside her. "I-I figured I could always give her some things whenever she went out." "Went out?" "With Shin'ichi . Shiro was insistent and said that she would only stay here if she could go out with her father and help him with his cases." With a smile Sonoko replied, "How on earth do you manage to keep your sanity with two suiri-otakus?"

--

After her mother left, Sonoko peeke in and told Aki that she could do as she pleased until the Kyogoku ales returned. So what did she do? Aki sat on the pink bed, awaiting the return of the Kyogoku males. _Pink _of all colors!! Personally, she preferred blue. But nonetheless, this was her room until she found a way back to her body. What really bugged her though, was that now she had to live with Kuro – the _one _person who was the most likely to figure her out. The child sat perched on the edge of her bed, her feet swinging back and forth gently. She needed to try and figure this out. But what was there for her to figure out!? I mean, sure she could try and figure where those two were located. But how on Earth would she do that? For once in her life, Shiro was doubting her own abilities.

"Tadaima," a young voice called out, which was followed by and older one. There was a muffled 'okairi nasai' (most likely from Sonoko) somewhere and then footsteps coming up the stairs. The door creaked open and Sonoko popped her head in. Whispering, she said, "Shiro-chan, we're going to introduce you." "R-Right," She stammered as she hopped from the bed. How awkward this was!! Being introduced again. As she exited the room, she followed Sonoko, her blue eyes large and frightened. I mean, why wouldn't she be scared? Her life was hurled into this life or death situation, for not only her but everyone around her, and she had to lay low by living with the one person most likely to find her out!? Yeah, she was pretty scared.

"Kaa-san, who's that?" A young boy asked, pointing at Aki. The older one just stared at her as his mother pushed her forward. "Her name is Aki." Aki glanced nervously at the two males, fidgeting with the right strap of her overalls nervously. "Ok, but why is she here . . . in our house." "Kuro, hush. I'm getting to that." Kuro let out a sigh as he placed his hands in his pockets. Little kids caused trouble, Natsu proved that already. "Aki was an important witness in a case, and the culprits are after her."

Sonoko paused, putting her finger to her lips as she recalled the rest of the cover story. "Umo, Aki is the child of a close friend, and she wants her here to know she's safe. If anyone asks you about her, tell them that Aki is your cousin and she's staying with you for a bit." Sonoko nodded as her boys stared blankly. "Aki-chan, the rude boy is Kuro-niichan and the smaller one is Natsu, okay?" The adult smiled to the best of her abilities. _How hard it must be for Shiro, having to meet them again, _she thought, looking down cautiously. "Aki-chan, yoroshiku," Natsu chirped, a grin across his face. "Aki-chan, do you wanna play?"

Aki stared at him blankly for a minutes before forcing a smile. "U-Un!" As the boy grabbed her by the hand and dragged her off to the yard, the girl could hear Kuro saying something to his mom, who only laughed in reply. "Aki-chan, are you gonna be in my class? "Eh?" Natsu cleared his throat before repeating, "Are you gonna be in my class?" She had forgotten that she appeared to be eight – the same age as Natsu. "U-Un . . . I think so." Natsu smiled, and his eyes suddenly had an innocent look to them when he opened them. "Aki-chan . . . are you any good at karate?" Her head fell as she let out a defeated sigh. She was expecting that one. "N-Nope" She raised her head, peeking at the boy through her lashes. Damn she was so short!! Or Natsu was tall for his age . . . but she was still short!! Natsu just smiled. "Then let me teach you, ok?" Aki, who didn't quite like the sound of this, took off running, Natsu right behind her.

As he heard a squeal come from outside, Kuro looked up. "Aki-chaan!! Come back, I wanna teach you!" His brother called, chasing after Aki as the small girl ran for her life, arms out before her For such a young kid, she was a pretty fast runner."Go! Go! Fight, Fight!!" Kuro shouted out the ope window, causing the girl to look over at him. That look she gave him . . . it reminded him so much of Shiro!! With her blue eyes narrowed, one eyebrow up, Aki had an air about her. That air said, 'Oh My God, You're an Idiot!' And then, Aki fell down with a mighty frown and Natsu went tumbling after. For a minute, Kuro was worried. But when both kids burst into laughter, he just made a stupid face and went to do his homework.

Before long, the two had come inside, Natsu to do his homework and Shiro to find something to do. If there was ever a time she needed a book, it was now. But unfortuneatley, her mother and neglected to pack any of her books. Whether that was on purpose or not, Aki would never know. There had to be a book somewhere in the house!! Sitting up on the bed, Aki yawned as she tried to think. "Doesn't Kuro read?" She mused to herself, tapping her chin as she thought outoud. "Does he even _own _a book? I think I've seen him read before . . ." The child collapsed onto the bed again, an exasperated sigh finding its way out of her mouth. As she lay there staring at the ceiling, an hour passed. And then another hour. Three hours, the sun was starting to set. There was a quick knock on the door and the Natsu's head. "Aki-chan, kaa-san says its time for dinner." He smiled, which Aki returned as she hopped off of the bed. And so they ate, the absence of Makoto evident by the spare chair.

"Aki-chan," Natsu started as they sat at the table. Kuro had retreated to God only Knows Where in the house ((According to Shiro, the presence of her mini-self intimidated him)) and Sonoko was doing dishes, grumbling to herself about something. The two sat there and talked for a few more hours, until about nine at least, until Aki fell asleep. As she sat there, her hands outstretched on the table one ether side of her head, Natsu poked her gently. "Aki-chan. A-ki-chaan!!" As he made a face, resting his own head on the table as Kuro entered the room again, sent by Sonoko to send the eight-year-olds to bed. "Tsu-chan, is she asleep?" "Yup. Niichan, I told you not to call me Tsu-chan anymore."

Kuro rolled his eyes as he stared at the sleeping girl. "Tsu-chan, go to bed." "Haai!!" His little brother exclaimed as he pushed his chair back and scampered away. "Ah, I guess it can't be helped." Kuro mumbled with a sigh as he lifted the small girl out of the chair. As he laid her over his shoulder, he carefully made his way to her room before tossing her onto the bed. Ah, if she was tired enough to sleep at a table, there wasn't a need to tuck her in.

--

Damn little kid metabolism, Aki thought as she began to stir. As she sat up, the first thing she noticed was that she was in her bed. Didn't she fall asleep at the table? Ah, who cares. As sh rubbed her eyes, she surveyed her surroundings. Pink . . . Childish . . . right, this wasn't her room. After falling back onto the bed and staring blankly at the ceiling again, the child remembered that she was living with Kuro and his family. A knock at the door, and then a creak. "Aki-chan, time wak- Ah!! You're awake!!" It was then that the bundle of energy threw himself onto the bed with a grin. "A-Ah, Natsu-kun!!" "Natsu, Natsu!!" Aki couldn't help but smile. "Aki-chan, we've got school today!!" Natsu's grin grew bigger as he lay on the bed beside Aki, his hands and his head flopped over the side. "Okay, but Natsu . . ." "Yeah?" "Are you gonna go like that,"Aki giggled. Here he was, all worked up about school and he hadn't even brushed his hair or gotten dressed. After sitting up and examining his clothes Natsu grinned and replied with an enthusiastic 'Un!'

After Natsu left, Aki quickly changed. Oh, how she was looking forward to going to primary school . . . again. Ah well, it couldn't be too bad, could it? Ha. She's have to sit there and measure out what answers to get right and what answers to get wrong. That way she wouldn't stand out as a genius or an incompetent fool. Stisfied with her clothes, she quickly made her way out of the room and towards the bathroom. S she stepped out of her room, Natsu stepped out of his and both froze. "I live here." "So do I." "I'm taller." "I'm a girl. Girls go first." "I'm older." "I'm faster." Natsu grinned at Aki's retort. "Let's see then." As soon as the words left his mouth, they were both running down the hallway. Aki and Natsu were equally matched when it came to speed, and both reached the bathroom door . . .only to have Kuro shut the door in their faces. "Sorry chibis, I win."

**/AN/**

For Those Who Don't Know –

Aki means Fall or Autumn.

Kaa-san means Mother.

Suiri-otaku means Mystery Geek

Tadaima means I'm Home.

Okairi nasai means Welcome Back.

Niichan/san means Big Brother

Yoroshiku means Nice to Meet You.

Un means Yeah. ((Che, that's a simple one.))

When Natsu is calling after Aki, I purposely put the double 'A' in it. It was to make it longer, like her was saying it in a sing-song voice. The same thing applies for the 'A-ki-chaan'

I couldn't resist – I had to make Sonoko the only female in the house before Aki arrived. And I just _had _to make her the only non-karate freak in the house. The temptation was too great. About the house, it's Western-style. I just figured that's the type of house Sonoko would have, considering their villa is Western-style. Thanks to Kiyuuki-sama for the reviews and DfK as well as Narumi Rhen!! Kiyuuki-sama is _really _giving me the support I need to carry on! Also, if you would like to see a page with different drawings of Shiro and Kuro, go to Deviant Art and type Peacharoo in the Search Box. Anyone notice how just about everyone has blue eyes?! Peacharoo has discovered Tantei Gakuen Q. Yay for new Detective Obsessions, so this might get put on hold for a bit. I mean, other than watching that, I also have to keep up with the Detective Conan manga chapters ((Stopped watching the anime)). Also, today (June Tenth) was my mum's birthday. So we're at this restaurant, and we're sitting by the bar. Because I was oh so thrilled ((- note the sarcasm)) I started looking around and I saw the different alcohol. And I'll be darned if I don't see Absinthe, Sloe Gin, and Rakia!! How interesting :) Wow this is long!! Anyway, if you haven't figured it out, Natsu takes Shiho's place. She had no kids XP And don't worry Narumi Rhen, Hattori and Kuroba will come out soon enough.


End file.
